The Star sent questionnaires to each of the four incumbents and 14 candidates in the Oxnard recall election on May 1. Mayor Tim Flynn and Council Members Carmen Ramirez, Bert Perello and Oscar Madrigal are hoping to keep their seats while 14 challengers want to replace them in the special election.

Here are the responses from Councilman Madrigal. The Star did not independently verify their biographical information.

Oscar Madrigal

Age: 33

Occupation: Teacher/council member

Party affiliation: Democrat

Education: Bachelor's degree in history; master's degree in public policy and administration both from Cal Lutheran University

Voters should be against the recall because it is based on an unpopular decision to increase wastewater rates to protect our wastewater system and credit rating. If the recall is successful future council members will be scared to make decisions that are in the best interest of the city long-term; instead will focus on short-term gain.

1. Nearly one year after your vote to raise the city’s wastewater rates despite overwhelming voter support of a repeal, do you still stand by your decision? Why or why not?

I stand by my decision of raising the city’s wastewater rates. It was a difficult unpopular decision to make, however, it was a decision that needed to be made. Our wastewater treatment plant is dilapidated and needs a lot of repairs. By voting no, we faced a situation of the treatment plant breaking down, accumulating fines from the state and having a larger rate increase in the future. It is a decision that is best for the Oxnard now and in the future.

2. What would an ideal Oxnard downtown look like and what would you do to achieve it if you were to remain on the council?

A vibrant downtown is an area where people are walking and hanging out throughout the day. We need to make the downtown friendly for pedestrians, which can be done by redoing Oxnard Boulevard in the downtown. The downtown is a place to share and see the history of our city, the city needs to work with the downtown to publicize more our rich history. In order to get people to the downtown, we need to have more residents living in the downtown. This is crucial in getting anything done in the area we can only do this through housing. By having people in the area we will attract businesses to move to the downtown.

3. What is the best way to solve street parking problems in crowded neighborhoods like those in south Oxnard?

Certain neighborhoods, predominately in south Oxnard are very densely populated for a variety of issues. We need to look at allowing people to have driveways in their houses. There are certain neighborhoods, mostly in south Oxnard that homes cannot have driveways because they have an alley and a certain percentage of the homes on the street do not have a driveway. This is an outdated ordinance and it creates chaos in neighborhoods. People are parking far away from their homes and it creates tension amongst neighbors. The city should also look at having diagonal parking and one-way streets for particular neighborhoods where possible. This allows for more parking spots in neighborhoods and residents may park closer to their homes.